Gwyneth Stokes, Swiss Re

Gwyneth Stokes is an auditor, financial controls, at Swiss Re. She has a BA in international relations from Boston University.

How did you go about choosing a graduate career?

I felt really at home while undertaking an internship with my employer, so I set about assessing from the inside which of their graduate positions would suit me best. I chose audit so I could develop a comprehensive overview of different financial functions.

You help other organisations comply with regulations. Tell us how you do it.

Audits are completed in teams on a project basis. They involve a set process that monitors how well different parts of the organisation are functioning. First we meet with the client to research and assess the risks in their business area. Next, we identify and test the controls in place, judging how well they mitigate these risks. Finally, we discuss the issues raised and report our findings. Later on we follow up to ensure they have successfully addressed any weaknesses.

'Since I bring my own fresh eyes to every audit, my opinions are respected by more senior auditors. It’s fantastic having so much responsibility.'

Since I bring my own fresh eyes to every audit, my opinions are respected by more senior auditors. It’s fantastic having so much responsibility so early on. A real highlight was when I identified a contentious issue during one testing phase and successfully defended my findings to management.

How do other finance professionals react to your job?

Auditors aren’t scary! I don’t go in to pick on clients’ mistakes and always stress that I mean well: the aim is to work together to improve the business. We highlight the risks and it’s up to them to implement solutions.